Urging the Centre to adopt Punjab’s model for land acquisition, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday submitted that land should not be acquired without the consent of farmers and land owners. He also proposed that the social impact assessment clause should apply to all acquisitions.Badal, speaking at a high-level meeting of Chief Ministers convened by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that he was of firm view that land acquisition, whether for state or central projects, should be left to the State Governments.
“This land should be acquired only with the consent of owners, solely for the public purposes,” said Badal, whose Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is a National Democratic Alliance ally.Badal’s views come at a time when the NDA Government is seeking the support of everyone to get the crucial land bill passed in the Parliament. A Joint Committee of Parliament is currently looking into the crucial Bill.The five-time Chief Minister urged the Central Government to adopt Punjab land acquisition policy as a role model for the national policy on the proposed land Acquisition Bill-2015.
“Punjab has a land acquisition policy which has been so far totally smooth, peaceful and hassle free. Under this policy, land s acquired with the consent of owners and farmers are paid market price plus displacement allowance,” said Badal.He added, “In order to pay market price, district price fixation committees have been set up which included local MP, MlA, sarpanch (village head) and the head of Municipal Committee”.
Thanking the Prime Minister for convening the meeting on “a crucial subject” as agriculture was facing a serious crisis in the country, Badal said that agriculture was a losing profession resulting in heavy debt and farm suicides.“In the light of this grim scenario, the land Acquisition Bill-2015 has caused great concern in the minds of farmers and farm labourers,” he said.The Chief Minister said that the general perception in the minds of farmers was that this bill was “anti-farmer”.
Badal said that he was of firm view that land acquisition, whether for state or central projects, “should be left to the state governments and this land should be acquired only with the consent of owners, solely for the public purposes”.He also proposed that social impact assessment clause should apply to all acquisitions to ensure the process of land Acquisition far more fair, transparent and accountable. He also urged the Centre to frame rules after the bill finally becomes an Act.
“The state government has already fixed multiplication factor besides appointing Administrators and Commissioners for Rehabilitation and Settlement. Punjab is in the process of setting up state monitoring committee and notifying the extent of land purchased through private negotiations for rehabilitation and resettlement purposes,” he said.